


I Don't Get Sick

by lemon_meringue



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Birthday Party, Gen, Gift Fic, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Sick Peter Parker, Sickfic, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, ooc probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2020-05-02 12:38:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19198990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemon_meringue/pseuds/lemon_meringue
Summary: Peter Parker is Spider-Man. He absolutely doesnotget sick.Alternatively: Peter denies that he’s sick, because he hates being sick. His Avengers family and a new friend are there to make him soup, bring him tissues, and make him feel better.+ Peter is apparently not as good at taking care of himself as he'd like to believe. Luckily, the people who love him make it work.***Update: was marked 1/1 back in June but I added a second chapter, so sorry if you’ve seen this before— it is now entirely completed!





	1. New Friends and Fevers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [F4Fanatic](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=F4Fanatic).



> For F4fanatic, an absolute sweetheart with a hella interesting prompt.
> 
> A little slice-of-life for the Avengers family ft. a new friend for Peter, bc canon is Sad right now and I need wholesome domestic things in my life. 
> 
> Is it a fic of mine if Peter doesn’t get sick? Unlikely. 
> 
> Thanks for reading babes, hope you like it <3
> 
> \+ I added a second chapter, so that's why this is reappearing like four/five months after I originally posted it!

Tony takes a long sip of his coffee. He’s considering asking Friday how long it’s been since he’s slept, but on second thought, he doesn’t want to know.

 

He’s been working on an upgrade for Peter’s suit, helping the kid further develop his web fluid to make it even stronger but also dissolve faster. It’s a challenge, because the compounds they have to use to make it capable of withstanding more weight also make it longer lasting, so trying to find out how to make the fluid more durable and more short-lived simultaneously is proving to be difficult. 

 

As it is, right now he’s just waiting for the kid to get to the Avenger’s compound. He comes over as often as he can, typically spending weekends or at least Friday nights upstate to work in Tony’s lab or train with the other heroes. 

 

If they’re being honest— all of the Avengers love having Peter around. It’s like all the bubbly, excitable energy bottled up into one teenager with a painfully good heart, always eager to help and cheer others up as much as he can. He’s therapeutic just to be around, and that was before they all silently adopted him as their hyperactive spider son. 

 

The first time Tony walked into the communal living room and saw Bruce helping Peter with a math question or Bucky telling him stories about Brooklyn in the 30’s for a history project, Tony stood in the hallway gaping like a fish. But eventually, after so many times of seeing Steve dishing out quick drawing lessons and Natasha grinning subtly while she teaches Peter Russian, Tony got used to it. Got used to his teammates treating Peter the way he’s unknowingly (and then knowingly) been treating the kid for years— like _their_  kid. 

 

So Tony’s sitting in the communal kitchen, practically chugging his it-doesn’t-matter-th cup of coffee, waiting for Peter to show up. Natasha is sitting next to him, looking at him with mild concern as she reads a book that’s not in English but doesn’t look like Russian either, and Steve is making something with bell peppers at the counter in front of him. 

 

When Peter does come bustling and nearly stumbling through the hallway, sliding on tiled floors and almost bumping into Tony at his stool, it’s like a ray of sunshine just burst into the room.

 

Tony won’t tell him that, because he doesn’t need Peter to know how totally wrapped around his fingers all the Avengers are, but the kid can probably read it on his face. 

 

“What’s up Mr. Stark?” He beams. He leans around Tony to give Natasha a big grin, saying “Hi Nat!” and bouncing on his heels. She smiles back at him fondly.

 

“Hey Pete, how was school?” Tony asks. Peter shrugs, dropping his backpack on the floor and all but skipping to the fridge in search of snacks. His metabolism is crazy fast, faster than Steve’s and Bucky’s (maybe even combined), and Tony always makes sure to feed him (or at least offer him food) as much as he can while the boy is over. 

 

“It was fine. What’re we doing today?” Peter responds, putting an apple in his mouth and picking up a bag of grapes. Tony groans and finishes his coffee.

 

“We’re gonna try to work out your web fluid. I think you were on to something last time, but we should look at all of our options.” He says, already refilling the mug. Who’s counting, anyways. 

 

“M’kay, well, I was thinking— ah, sorry Mr. Rogers —about maybe looking at some of the prints Shuri sent us about the emergency repair spray she developed for Wakanda? Because that stuff is super, super strong, but doesn’t last, and even though it’s not really a whole lot like my webs, we might find enough similarities to work with it?” Peter explains, bumping into Steve as he makes his escape with the grapes. Tony nods along and watches Steve steady Peter with one hand on the boy’s shoulder. 

  
“No problem, Pete. And, hey, were you rollin’ around in the dirt or something?” The soldier asks curiously. Peter looks at him quizzically long enough for Steve to point to his t-shirt. 

 

“Ohhh,” the boy nods, “no, I just fell in the grass. Flash tripped me when I was leaving the school. Which reminds me! I made a new friend today. Well, ok, I met a new person, but I’m pretty sure we’re friends. He’s really cool, and he stuck up to Flash for me and helped me pick up my stuff, which was nice.” Peter rambles a little, grinning as he sits down with his grapes, already half way through the apple. 

 

“Flash giving you a hard time again, huh?” Tony prompts. He shouldn’t say this about a teenager— but he kind of hates that guy, despite never meeting him. He’s mean to Peter and Peter is ~~an angel~~  a really good kid, so it’s not like the boy’s painting a great picture of himself. 

 

“Yeah, but Jack helped out. That’s his name, the kid who told off Flash for me. Jack. He’s super cool.” Peter grins, cheeks bulging a bit with grapes. 

 

“Yeah, you said that already,” Tony says fondly. Peter just shrugs, un-bothered. 

 

“Well, it’s true. He seems awesome.” He confesses. Natasha puts her book down and rests her chin in her palm. 

 

“Still, nobody should need to stick up for you, _солнышкo_. Because you should learn to confront this kid yourself, and also because maybe we could just pay him a visit and politely ask him not to bother you anymore.” She offers with a grin. Peter’s eyes go wide and he almost chokes trying to swallow the grapes fast enough to deter her. 

 

“No, no no no no no, that’s really not necessary, I would actually appreciate if you did not do that at all ever, please,” he rushes out. The other three can only chuckle a little at his small panic. 

 

“Relax, underoos. No one is going to have a ‘polite conversation’ with anybody,” Tony makes air quotes as he speaks, “right, Nat.” He looks pointedly at her. She just shrugs with a smirk and goes back to her book, sighing softly. 

 

“No promises.” 

 

Peter seems to almost faint at that, but all Tony can do is laugh. 

 

***

 

A few weeks later, Tony is showing Peter one of the upgraded functions of his nano suit, being able to create an entire second suit that materializes off the first one, and without Tony even needing to be inside the original. Peter’s wide-eyed and overflowing with excitement, and clumsily pulls out his phone to take pictures (after sheepishly asking if he could). 

 

Tony sits back in his hair with a smirk on his face. 

 

“Sending that to Ned?” He asks knowingly. Ned Leeds, Peter’s best friend, is one of the smartest teenagers Tony’s ever met. And he has met him, quite a few times. Peter brings his friend to the compound whenever he works up the courage to ask Tony if he can, and the other boy is always just as eager to learn, if a little more star-struck. 

 

Peter shifts and looks a little bashful. 

 

“Well, yeah, but also my friend Jack. The one I mentioned last week? He really likes Stark tech, and the Iron Man suit, thinks it’s super cool. He’s really smart, too,” Peter answers. He slips his phone back into his pocket and sits down in a chair next to Tony’s, still marveling at the nano suits as they move. They’re not perfect yet, but Tony’s working on it. 

 

He grins at the kid and pats Peter’s shoulder, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. 

 

“Yeah?” He prompts. Peter hums, watching as the nano suits deconstruct per Tony’s wishes. “You should invite the kid over some time. If you want,” the older man offers, turning his chair back to the desk. Peter gapes at him. Admittedly, it did take some convincing for Tony to allow Peter to bring friends over. But after meeting Ned and then the spit-fire girl, MJ, he has full faith in Peter’s choice of companions. 

 

~~No, it’s not an opportunity to show off, of course not. That’s ridiculous.~~

 

~~ No, he did not run multiple background checks on Jack already the moment Peter mentioned him, what kind of overprotective parent would do something like that. ~~

 

Peter looks like he might explode, spinning back to the desk. 

 

“What, really?! For real?!” He barely stops himself from shouting. Tony just grins at how excitable the boy gets. 

 

“For real.” He answers plainly. Peter spends the next two minutes thanking Tony profusely and promising he’ll like Jack, then continues to do so for the rest of the night. 

And the next day. 

 

And the next day, all the way up until he leaves.

 

At which point he does it four more times. 

 

Tony just smiles and takes it all and waves off the excited boy as he gets into the car with Happy. 

 

***

 

A little under two weeks later, and Peter is cautiously making his way in to the communal living room, another teenager in tow. 

 

The boy behind Peter looks tall, definitely taller than the spider kid. He’s wearing an original Power Rangers Mighty Morphin t-shirt (that Tony only learns the specifics of later) and worn sneakers. His hair is brown hair and it looks like he tried to make it a little nicer, and he’s got brown eyes betraying the skittish combination of excitement and nerves he must be feeling. 

 

After all, it’s not every day the bullied wall-flower at your school invites you to meet the biggest super heroes on the planet. 

 

“Ok, um, Jack, this is everybody. Everybody,” Peter addresses how the majority of the Avengers are together in the living room, definitely not intentionally at all whatsoever, and turns back to his friend, “this is Jack.” 

 

Peter’s smiling nervously like something might go wrong and Tony can’t help wanting to fix that, so before he even starts to analyze the new kid, he’s channeling all his inner charisma and smiling warmly. 

 

“Nice to meet you, Jack. Tony Stark,” he offers. The kid nods appreciatively, looking almost startled to hear his name come out of Tony’s mouth. 

 

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Stark,” he says. Steve was already standing, meandering in the kitchen, and he comes over to offer a hand. 

 

“Steve Rogers,” he says with that all-American grin of his, and Tony thinks the kid’s eyes get comically wide as he shakes Captain America’s hand. 

 

“Hello,” is all he manages to say, but no one seems to mind. Personal introductions continue, quick and rather concise, from Rhodey and Bucky and Sam, all sitting with Tony. Vision and Wanda must be elsewhere, Clint is still with his family, and Bruce is downstairs. Then Natasha comes up from around Steve, offering her hand to the boy as well. 

 

“Natasha, you can call me Nat,” she says. Tony barely stops himself from gaping, because, what the fuck, she never warms up to people that fast. 

 

Either she genuinely hates all of her Avenger companions, or she, who reads people better than anyone else Tony’s ever met (Tony’s met a lot of people), immediately decided that this kid was ok. More than ok. 

 

Tony honestly doesn’t know which it is, but for the sake of his fragile self-image he decides Jack must be a very good person.

 

As it is, the kid seems at a loss for words, barely managing an “it’s really great to meet you, Ms. Roma-, er, Nat,” and trying not to smile or blush as much as he obviously was. Tony can’t blame him. Natasha’s a piece of work, for sure. A kick-ass piece of work who scares the man more than he’ll admit to, one of his closest friends, but a piece of work nonetheless. 

 

Peter smiles knowingly as Natasha releases Jack’s hand and makes her way back to the kitchen with Steve. 

 

“Um, I think we’re gonna go find Dr. Banner, and Vision, and _Wanda_ ,” Peter says, stressing Wanda’s name. Jack nods as Peter tugs him away, waving and giving one last, “It’s super nice to meet you all!” and disappearing back down the hall, but not before Tony catches the red flush spreading over his face. 

 

Some badass redheads. Tony smirks and turns back to Rhodey. 

 

***

 

Over the next few months, Tony sees a lot more of Jack.

 

Almost as much as he hears about him. 

 

( _"_ _Mr. Stark, ok, so Jack plays the guitar, right? He has an electric guitar, it's so cool, and he can play it really well and he let me try, and I was awful but I could play a couple cords really loud, and-"_ )

 

Often times, Peter will invite Jack over with him and Ned, also, and the two will watch in awe as Peter watches Tony in awe in the lab. And some weekends Peter will bring the boy up just for his after-school visit, packing back into the car with Happy to be back in Queens before midnight. 

 

A couple times, Tony hasn’t even been home. He and Pepper took a small vacation and then there was a conference weekend ( _“Pep, seriously, how much do I have to pay_ not _to go?” “You’re going, Tony.”_ ) that he was away for as well. 

 

But overall, Tony’s gotten to see the new friend more and more. Specifically, he’s gotten to see how close Jack and Peter have gotten, and how easily the Avengers team has accepted him. 

 

Particularly Natasha and Wanda. 

 

They wouldn’t easily admit it, of course. If Tony asked them, they’d just stick up their chins a little and tilt their heads and say, “What? Jack’s a good kid and a good friend to Peter. That’s all”. 

 

Tony thinks there’s some truth to that, actually. Obviously he’s a good kid and a good friend, but the Avenger thinks it always boils down to Peter. Not only does Peter chose good company, but any friend of Peter’s is automatically a friend to them all. Endearingly enough, there hasn’t been a bad egg yet. 

 

Speaking of bad eggs. 

 

Peter looks ready to murder Sam if the man makes one more joke about the boy having eating a bad egg. 

 

“That’s why you’re sick,” Sam concludes. Peter glares at him from where he’s situated on the couch.

 

He’s wrapped up in blankets, two boxes of tissues on the end table next to him, a small trash can in front of the cushions because _of course_  he had to be nauseous, too. The teen’s wearing a too-big sweater that almost falls off both of his shoulders and definitely belongs to Bucky, with a properly fitting long sleeve underneath, fuzzy socks, and, despite being pale and red nosed, eyes half lidded and generally looking on the verge of tears with how upset he is over his symptoms (because of them or the sheer fact that he’s experiencing them, Tony thinks it must be both)— he looks soft and Tony wants to hug him. 

 

He doesn’t want to get sick, though, so he’s not planning on doing much of that. 

 

“I’m not _sick_ ,” Peter grumbles, though it’s mostly to himself. He huffs out dramatically and clutches a pillow in his arms. “I don’t get sick. That’s not a thing that happens to me, ok? Spider powers, remember? All enhanced and stuff? I don’t get colds, I don’t get the flu. I heal too fast for that. I don’t get sick.” He explains.

 

A futile attempt, really, because Bruce has already confirmed that he’s sick with some petty virus, evidently strong enough to get him ill. 

 

He’s right about his enhanced body, and anything strong enough to get him could be really dangerous to normal people, so as soon as he’d gotten sniffly, Bruce had taken samples, run some tests, and whipped up a little vaccine serum for the team. 

 

Despite being claimed immune to whatever’s hurting Peter, Tony still isn’t going to hug him. 

 

Sam just nods along, looking a little torn between genuinely entertaining Peter’s denial and mocking him for it. 

 

“Whatever you say Spidey,” the man says. Tony can’t tell which he chose. Sam’s just getting up to leave when Peter sneezes again, then groans at what that does to his headache. The older man looks like he’s about to say something but Peter, tissue in hand, softly claims:

 

“I don’t get sick. I’m not sick.” And it looks like pity wins the Falcon over (for now). He leaves with a sigh, ruffling Peter’s hair as he does. 

 

“Pete, why don’t you invite a friend over?” Tony offers. 

 

Peter’s been sick and confined to soft surfaces of the compound for the last three days. It’s the middle of the week, too, May calling the school about Peter being sick (which is true, though she left out about how he’s quarantined in the Avengers compound), so the kid hasn’t gotten to see his friends much at all. Both Ned and MJ have been really busy with the very class projects that aren’t enough to keep Peter occupied, so he’s only been able to text them for short periods of time throughout the day. 

 

Tony never knew just how easy it is for Peter to feel lonely until now, seeing how the boy’s misery only grows every time he checks his phone and sees a message still unread. At his offer, though, the kid perks up. 

 

“Really?” He asks. Tony nods, setting down his tablet for a second. 

 

“Sure. Happy could go get someone and we could give them some of the little serum, you guys could hang out for a while. Maybe that would cheer you up some?” He elaborates. Peter nods, then furrows his brows a little bit. 

 

“I don’t know if Ned and MJ are busy though… but Jack might be free?” He says, like he’s waiting for Tony to say ‘we’re not there yet’. But Tony just nods. 

 

“Sure. You could text him now, and if he answers soon, we could have Happy ready to pick him up after school.” The man says. Peter perks up even more, nodding excitedly for only a moment before the action hurts his head and he stops. Tony grins sympathetically, picking up his tablet again. 

 

A few hours later, after a short nap and a coughing fit that almost ending in puking, Peter gets a text and happily tells Tony that Happy and Jack have arrived. Tony smiles encouragingly as if he hasn’t been tracking their location throughout the entire drive, and goes to meet the boy at the door with the serum. 

 

Jack looks comfortable when Tony opens the door. Not annoyingly so, not in some sort of arrogance. Just casually. Like he knows he’s accepted at the compound (which he definitely is). Tony smiles, because it took Ned a long time to stop waiting for a pin to drop, and holds out a vile. 

 

Jack doesn’t know about Peter being Spider-Man yet. Peter’s kind of sad about it, but they’re all right when they say the more people who know, the more dangerous it is, especially for those who do know. As far as Jack is aware, Peter’s Stark internship just made him close to the Avengers on a familial level, and a small lab accident got him sick. Nothing to be worried about, but definitely something they want to keep contained in the compound, so his confinement and the little ‘vaccine’ serum are (unfortunately) necessary. 

 

After taking the serum and waiting for it to take effect, Tony leads Jack inside. Friday is filtering the air every few minutes, but they still don’t want to take chances, considering how many humans with ordinary immune systems live in the compound. 

 

When they make it back, Steve and Natasha are back in the kitchen (cooking together has become a thing for them in recent months. Tony tries not to be offended when they make garbage food— but they’re getting much better). They’ve got dinner prep on hold so they can make food for Peter, whose stomach growling can be heard down the hall. 

 

“ _дорогая_ , it’s good to see you. We’re making chicken noodle and PB&J, want any?” Natasha says, smiling when she sees Jack in the hall. Tony goes to sit back down in his chair, watching the way Peter sits up a little and beams when Jack steps into view. 

 

“Good to see you too, Nat. I’d love a sandwich, actually,” Jack grins, then turns to Peter. 

 

“Hey Pete, how you feelin’?” He asks softly, sitting down next to the shorter boy. Peter groans. 

 

“I’ve been… better. By a long shot.” He laughs, and Jack chuckles a little too.

 

Tony zones out, focusing back on his tablet while Peter and Jack catch up about how the last few days have been, and Natasha brings them the food. They eat their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together, and Jack tells Peter about what sounds like an awful attempt at a stunt their gym teacher pulled earlier in the day while the super boy works through his soup. 

 

The billionaire is paying attention enough to hear Jack suggest they play Mario Kart and subtly slips earphones in, tuning out the sounds of the two boys betraying each other with banana peels and making poor attempts at sabotage.

 

At some point in the middle of the game, their attempts at slander make Peter laugh too much and he has another coughing fit, one which Jack dutifully soothes him through. If Tony (and Natasha and Steve, who are still working on dinner) admire him for that, they don’t say anything (not now, at least). 

 

The game ends with Jack winning. Peter pretends like he’s trying not to pout, though they all know he’s a good sport to a fault, and his friend jokes that it’s, “just ‘cause you’re sick”, to which Peter responds, “yeah, yeah, whatever”. 

 

A little while after the game is over, Peter passes out. It appears he doesn’t mean to, but then he’s slumped against his pillows and burrowing into the blankets, and at least he’s not coughing so hard he almost hurls when he’s asleep— so they let him rest. 

 

Jack plays around on his phone for a while, listening to Steve and Natasha throw quips at each other from the kitchen. Tony’s deep into working out how to reduce the heat that radiates out of his Iron Man suit’s blasts to better prevent unintentional damage or injury without cooling down the blasts themselves when he realizes Steve and Nat are talking to Jack. 

 

“Got any plans after school, then?” Steve asks. Jack nods and pops out a grin. 

 

“Yeah, I’m working on my pilot’s license, ‘cause my dad was a pilot and I really wanna be one, too,” he says, almost wistfully. Tony smirks. 

 

“Pilot, huh? You should talk to Carol, she’s a pilot.” He chuckles to himself as he says it. Jack just furrows his eyebrows. 

 

“Who?” He looks so confused, Tony’s about to spare him when Natasha beats him to it. 

 

“Friend of our’s. You can meet her some time when she’s not on the other side of the universe,” she laughs. Jack just nods to that, and Tony’s going to ask more about his pilot career when Wanda and Bucky stroll into the room. 

 

The come up behind the couch that Peter and Jack are sitting on, looking like they’ve gotten back from catching some fresh air (even if that air is frigid cold now). 

 

Bucky looks over the back cushions at Peter, realizing he’s asleep and leaning down to pull one of the blankets over his would-be bare shoulder. 

 

Tony smiles watching them, and reaches over to turn on a random channel on the tv. He sets the volume low and puts the subtitles on before going back to his tablet. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Wanda ruffle Jack’s hair as he looks up at her with something both appreciative and playful. 

 

“You’re a good friend, Jack. Peter already feels better just having you here,” she says, tucking back a few strands of hair that she messed up. The teen beams at her and she grins down at him with something that looks heavily like a sisterly pride.

 

Tony just lets a little grin sit on the corner of his mouth and tunes back into his work. 

 

Wanda and Bucky hang out for a little while, and Tony can hear them chatting quietly, though he doesn’t register what they’re saying.

 

They’re gone by the time Peter wakes up about forty five minutes later, though, looking confused and -adorable and- kind of lost. He stretches out while Jack teases him about falling asleep, and Tony calls Bruce to bring up some more medicine. 

 

They give him enhanced pain relief and triple shots of vitamins to help him cope and recover. Bruce dishes out some pills and dark purple liquid that Peter downs with water, and ends up finishing off the glass. 

 

After a quick check to make sure he feels alright, Bruce swipes a stray drop of water off Peter’s cheek with his thumb and tells him to keep relaxing, thanking Jack for coming by. 

 

Tony doesn’t need to look up to know both boys are grinning wildly as Banner leaves. As the two teenagers start talking again, and Steve and Natasha finish dishing some elaborate whole-chicken recipe they’re trying out into the oven, Tony decides to let the kids be. He follows his fellow Avengers out of the room, bidding the boys to behave (which earns him a quiet quip from Peter about how  _he_  never behaves) and taking his tablet with him.

 

Maybe he’ll take a break, though. 

 

Even if he keeps a tab of Peter’s vitals open. 

 

***

 

Tony loses track of time. 

 

When he finally meanders back towards the kitchen, ready to eat whatever leftovers his teammates undoubtedly set aside to wait for him (he got swept up, ok? Didn’t have time to come up for dinner— yeah, yeah, Pepper will chew him out for that later), he bumps into (or, almost does) Jack. 

 

The boy is making his way towards the entree, half tying his shoes as he goes. 

 

“Peter’s asleep,” Jack says, quietly, even though they’re plenty far away from the living room now. (Maybe he does know about the super enhanced hearing). 

 

Tony nods in acknowledgement, seeing Natasha and Wanda coming up from the hall to their right, knowing they’ll probably make Happy wait another twenty minutes before he takes the kid home so that the three of them can chat. 

 

Jack notices them coming, too, and swallows audibly, obviously blushing a little. Tony smirks but pretends not to notice. 

 

“Hey, thanks for coming over. I know it’s kind of weird with the whole, Avengers thing, still, but you helped out Peter a lot. Even if he did pass out on you. You’re a good kid, Jack,” he says, clapping the boy on the shoulder. 

 

The kid absolutely preens at that, thanking Tony for letting him over, saying he was happy to hang out with Peter. Tony nods to him, continuing off down the hall as the two girls make it to the entree.

 

Unlike _some_  people, Tony doesn’t have super hearing. He’s not quite sure what they say, but when he turns the corner he sees them hugging the teen goodbye. 

 

In the living room, Tony finds Peter partly sprawled out on the couch, Bucky gently pulling a video game controller out from under one of his arms. The soldier smiles at Tony when he sets the device on the coffee table, then nods a “goodnight, Tony” to the inventor as he passes him. 

 

Tony sighs. He’s tempted to just let Peter sleep here, but he knows the boy would be more comfortable in his own bed, and it’d be better for him to have that connected bathroom just a few feet away throughout the night. 

 

Despite being an enhanced spider kid and a nearly middle aged non-super powered man, Tony can still pick up Peter. 

 

He doesn’t know how, but the kid is light (compared to what he expected a teenage boy to be). 

 

Wrapping the kid up in his blankets like a burrito, Tony scoops Peter into his arms and carries him back to his own room. It’s not that far of a walk but Peter, in his sleep, still finds time to snuggle up against Tony’s chest. 

 

His breathing sounds labored and the inventor doesn’t like that at all, but he’s still got Friday monitoring the boy’s vitals, so he tries to crush down the worry. 

 

Laying the kid in his own bed, fixing all the blankets, and flicking on the bathroom light (leaving the door cracked, just in case he needs to get there fast in the night), Tony makes sure to fetch more water, medicine and tissues to leave at Peter’s bedside table before he goes. 

 

He makes it all of two steps away from the boy’s bed before turning back again, ruffling (or, rather, gently fixing and combing his hand through) the teen’s especially unruly hair, quietly telling him to sleep well. 

 

As he’s closing Peter’s door and reminding Friday to tell him if anything happens, reflecting on the day, Tony thinks that the Avengers are getting too goddamn domestic. Too friendly. 

 

If that thought makes him smile, well— he really can’t help it. 


	2. Impromptu Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets sick again, with pretty awful timing. Fortunately, his friends make it work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very happy (late) birthday to F4Fanatic, hope you like this little gift fic <3

“I have the worst luck in the entire world. Why does Thor— or, wait, who’s his dad? Odin?— why does Odin hate me? What did I do to deserve this karma? Is this because I didn’t make my bed that one time in fourth grade?” Peter groans, an arm thrown dramatically over his forehead. He’s laying in his bed at the compound, confined to the base for the second time in a matter of months. 

 

Except this go around, it’s not because he caught some alien sickness. It’s just good old fashioned exhaustion (oh, and food poisoning).

 

(He’s not entirely wrong. Kid does have some pretty shit luck.)

 

“It’s not karma, Pete. It’s because you don’t eat or sleep enough and then you go out spider-man...-ing when you should be resting. Not to mention eating at shady places..” Tony replies, waiting for the reading to beep to life from the thermometer that was previously swiped against the kid’s face. 

 

“I haven’t been eating any differently, though! Just... maybe,  _ barely _ less than usual, but that’s only because I’m busy. And I’ve eaten from that food stand before— plenty of times!” Peter defends indignantly. His exaggerated frown takes up most of his face and Tony has to hold back a grin at this kid’s dramatics. 

 

“Mhm. And what about the sleeping, part? You know you use up a lot more energy than a regular person, Pete. If you don’t sleep enough, then you need to eat  _ more _ , not less. You can’t cut down on your body’s ability to recharge for weeks on end and then be surprised when it catches up with you and you get sick.” He says. The thermometer comes to a solid reading and Tony shrugs.

 

“Flat 100. Not the worst, not great.” The man puts the thermometer away and hands Peter a nearly empty cup of water. 

 

The boy sits up slowly and finishes off the glass, not saying anything else or looking at Tony. The billionaire almost can’t believe it’s possible for someone to feel genuinely guilty about getting sick, but— no, this is Peter, and Tony can easily believe that.

 

“You’re fine, Pete,” he sighs, brushing the kid’s hair off his sweaty forehead. “Happens to the best of us. We all overwork ourselves sometimes— just, try not to do it so much, yeah? You’re gonna give an old man a heart attack one of these days.”

 

That gets a gurgling, mid-swallow laugh out of Peter, and when he takes the cup from his mouth to cough, Tony sees the little smile. One point for Iron Man. “Get some more sleep, I’ll wake you up for dinner, 'kay?” He concedes, ruffling messy curls that could probably use a shower and standing up. Peter nods and rolls over on his side with a flop only a person sans back problems could accomplish— out like a light.

 

Tony goes back in a while later to bring another tall cup of water and leaves it on Peter’s bedside table along with a packet of anti-nausea tablets. After that, he does his best to just let the kid sleep, resolving to only check on him via Friday's scans.

 

When the man does finally return to the bedroom with the goal of fetching Peter for dinner, he's expecting for the boy to be in a near coma, all things considered. Instead, he finds the teenager sitting up in bed, staring at his phone, looking distinctly upset.

 

“Woah, hey there, what’s the matter?” Tony asks. He walks up to the bed, one hand going right to Peter’s shoulder, leaning slowly to peek at the phone screen, so Peter has plenty of time to turn it away if he’d rather Tony not see.

 

(Both of them gave up on awkwardly refraining from physical contact a long time ago.)

 

(Something about dying while clinging to one another and then vowing not to die again with the looming knowledge that neither of them can actually promise that— all the troublesome bull that Tony doesn't have the time or energy to think about, and preferably will not ever.)

 

What he finds on the latest version of the Starkphone— yet to be released, and he had to put serious work into convincing Peter to take it after the kid’s last phone got a  _ bullet hole _ in it— is a… calendar?

 

“Jack’s birthday. Midtown posts all the birthdays happening each week, and Jack’s is in two days!” Peter cries. 

 

Oh. Tony thinks he knows where this is going. He raises his eyebrows and waits for Peter to continue regardless.

 

“We were going to hang out, we had plans to go to the movies— I didn’t even know it was his birthday! But Dr. Strange said I have to stay home for the whole  _ week _ . Mr. Stark, I can’t miss his  _ birthday _ !” Peter rushes out. He looks so panicked and upset, Tony’s almost (almost) thrown off from it. 

 

Peter cares very deeply and very strongly about, well, most things. Especially his friends. Especially about his friends’ birthdays, apparently. 

 

“I’m sure Jack will understand, Peter. You can still talk to him— you’ve got that magic little box for a reason. Besides, now you have extra time to pick out a present.” Tony tries to comfort. 

 

Peter does not look comforted. 

 

He looks the opposite of comforted, actually. Shit. Revoke Iron Man's previous point score.

 

“I was already thinking about what I could get him. The first week after we met he told me he plays guitar and I was going to make him a pick.” The kid sulks, laying slowly back flat onto the mattress and pulling the blankets over his head. “I’m terrible. What kind of friend am I, Mr. Stark?” 

 

Tony sighs, patting what he’s pretty sure is Peter’s chest but might be his chin. 

 

“You’re not terrible, Pete. You’re sick. It happens,” the man says. He wracks his brain for a few seconds before an idea nudges him. 

 

“What if you invite Jack over here? He’s friends with your friends, right? They could all come over, have a second mini party or something. You could hang out, give him the guitar pick— I’m sure Jack would like that. He hasn’t been here in a while anyways.” The billionaire offers. 

 

The blanket comes flying off as Peter sits up, like a vampire rising from a coffin only time-lapse quick. 

 

“Wait, really? Seriously?! Could I- he- we-?!” 

 

“Yeah, kid, really.” Tony cuts him off. Peter’s face lights up, and it tugs at the man’s heartstrings, how bright and wide his eyes can get with bags that dark and how big and precious his smile is with lips still chapped post-dehydration. 

 

“No way! Oh my god, Jack would  _ love  _ that, he loves it here Mr. Stark, and he’s, he is close to Ned and MJ too, so they could come over, and, and-” Tony cuts Peter off with a hand raised. 

 

“You can plot out all the little details and whatnot  _ after  _ dinner.”

 

The excited smile doesn’t even falter. Peter nods fast, then grabs his head and groans, and Tony gives him a pitying smile. Exhaustion's a bitch. “Alright, up you get. Let’s go, you have at least three serving sizes of dumplings to eat before you can party plan.” 

 

He helps Peter off the bed, and is more that pleased when the kid’s appetite seems to have returned to him. The spiderling eats four helpings of dumplings, and the smoothie that Steve makes for him, and Tony adds the point back on Iron Man’s scoreboard. 

 

* * *

 

Tony doesn’t regret the idea. 

 

He doesn’t regret offering, and he doesn’t regret actually allowing three of Peter’s friends to spend the afternoon and evening in the compound for an impromptu birthday party. 

 

If not because the billionaire does actually like the kids, then because the pure joy Peter radiates through his strict diet, hydration, and sleep schedule would make pretty much anything worth it. 

 

There is a small inkling of remorse, though, that he gave them the go-ahead for cake. 

 

_ Making  _ cake, that is. 

 

Steve and Bucky offering to make supper? Fine. Wanda, on her newest kick (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, brightly colored platform heels, and “House Hunters”) making the party-going kids sandwiches and— thanks to the ruckus that is Bucky wearing a VR headset— almost breaking both glass jars of jam and jelly? Minimal damage, not even a problem. 

 

Tony thought the threat of damage peaked during the pre-dinner mario kart competition, which Peter had to tap out of for his scheduled chugging of vitamin water (but remained a faithful cheerleader), and Jack just barely beat MJ (though both of them destroyed Bruce and Thor).

 

(And why the hell Thor even wanted to play when he’d only gotten to the compound from undisclosed-location-in-space half an hour prior, Tony knows not.)

 

Even when MJ, just before losing, insisted that the odds were unfair because Jack had more practice, and teams started verbalizing threats to sabotage the game (which could easily lead to destruction and nope, no, not anywhere near this coffee table they won't), Tony dissipated the tension by trying to distract the teen, making a comment about building him a working power rangers suit after spotting his themed socks. It didn’t work, other than to make the boy beam proudly, and MJ declared the game “stupid and uncool” after throwing down her controller when she came in second a few minutes later.

 

All the participating avengers grew increasingly loud, even as they fell further and further behind or dropped out altogether, making Tony fear for the decorative vases and a table lamp. But it was all alright. No damage done.

 

This new development, however, takes the cake. 

 

(And what an ironic phrase to use.)

 

Four teenagers who cannot  _ not _ be high on  _ something _ by this point trying to bake a cake from scratch at nine in the evening? Chaotic. 

 

“Pебенок паук, what are you doing?” Natasha says, eyeing the way Peter is scooping cupfuls of sugar from the bag. 

 

“Following the recipe!” He replies happily. His voice is a little scratchy and hid eyelids are a bit low— he's definitely due for more water and a nap. Tony voices as much and he's studiously ignored.

 

Wanda makes a pinched face and an “ehhhh” sound, hands almost reaching out as if to stop the boy from adding so much sweetness, though she stays put. “Петр, that’s not, I don’t think that’s…” she trails off. 

 

“Please, Jack, Дорогая, stop him before he overdoes it.” Natasha groans. Tony watches from his stool at the counter as Jack pulls away from one bowl, which he’s being holding it firm for Ned to mix, looking over at the smaller bowl that Peter is pouring sugar into. 

 

“Pete, nope, no, what are you doing, that’s-” 

 

“It’s the right amount-”

 

“It absolutely is not-”

 

“I got this, I got this-”

 

“You’re not even lucid right now, go sit down!” Jack commands, stealing the measuring cup from the shorter boy. Peter pouts, ready to snatch it back, oblivious to the grin on Jack’s face. 

 

"No way, it's cool, I'm good, I feel perfectly fine ok, I know how to read a recipe, alright man? Just gimme back-"

 

Tony cracks a grin, ready to put his two cents in and restate that Peter should really be resting, preferably lying down, _ideally_ asleep, but his friend pulls out the stops.

 

“It’s my birthday and I want you to rest so you don’t poison or puke in the batter,” Jack declares. He hands the measuring cup to MJ and stands between the girl and Peter. 

 

That does it for the teenage vigilante. With an exaggerated groan, he slides his feet out of the cooking area and plops down onto a stool next to Tony, dragging the glass of water he’s been sipping out of from across the counter. 

 

“Outrageous. I’ve been thrown out of my own kitchen.”

 

“ _ Your  _ kitchen, huh?” Tony smirks. Peter closes his eyes, resting his chin on folded arms and grinning like the little shit he is. 

 

He hums in agreement, then yawns and Tony reaches over to scratch his back.

 

The cake turns out ok. A little overly sweet, but no one mentions it. 

 

The disaster of batter and spilled flower in the kitchen is a headache waiting to happen, but, wait it will. Jack flushes bright red when Peter, on his most recent round of medication and more than a little loopy, ropes the team members in the surrounding area into singing happy birthday well past eleven pm. He’s instantly forgiven when he presents his friend with the guitar pick, however, and Jack drags him into a side hug. 

 

It’s late at night when Tony returns to the living room, finding Peter passed out with his legs over Jack’s lap and his head on MJ’s stomach, Ned’s head resting on Peter’s chest. They’re all a tangle of limbs and Tony gets himself a bottle of water, snapping the cap off and watching how the three non mutant teenagers quietly play cards.

 

Ned looks up and grins at Tony, waving, which draws the other two’s attention to the billionaire. He makes eye contact with Jack. 

 

“So? How was the birthday?” 

 

The grin the kid gives him makes Tony mark down another point for Iron Man’s best ideas. 

 

“It was great, Mr. Stark, thanks so much for letting us come over. I had a lot of fun,” he gushes. Tony nods, waving away the thanks in the way Pepper tells him he should stop doing. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, no problem kid. It meant a lot to Peter that he didn’t miss it, and, ya know. We don’t exactly mind having a bunch of enthusiastic teenagers around to remind us how to be regular people.” 

 

He takes a few big gulps of water while the kids snicker, and when he turns back to them, Peter is stirring awake from the motions. 

 

“Hm, wha-?” His eyes are barely open. He really needs more rest. (And probably more food.)

 

“Go back to sleep, loser.” MJ says. Tony smirks and makes eye contact with Jack again, who’s smiling, looking no older than the last time Tony saw him, but happy as hell. 

 

Peter just nods at the response and lays back down, curling up a little, his feet pressing close to Jack’s side. The teen winces, probably at the cold, but he doesn’t push Peter away, patting his leg and looking back to Tony. 

 

The kid has good friends, the billionaire thinks. And he’s smiling where he’s probably already passed out again, and MJ is declaring that she’s going to beat Jack this round, and Jack argues that Wanda taught him how to play so he’s definitely going to win, and Tony murmurs a barely-received goodnight to them.

 

The chorus of, “Goodnight, Mr. Stark!”s sound off, and then, very quietly:

 

“Mmm, nigh’ Tony,” and Tony can hear the grin still on Peter’s face.

 

He heads off to his room and marks off another point for Iron Man, just because.


End file.
